Will he soon turn from magma to lava?... "Mighty Molten" Moultrie! Or will he just add mildew and mold to Brown's "knockdown" house?... "Less Than Garnett" Arnett. Likely, somewhere in between. IF he is in any kind of shape/playing condition.

I'm pretty sure I saw something from Tom Moore just the other day saying that Moultrie was completely exhausted after doing sprints in practice and still appears to be a week or two away from a conditioning standpoint.

Sadly, Moultrie has been out of shape since he got drafted. My expectations for him have been continuously dropping.

Pampered ROY frontrunner (!) Carter-Williams will miss his 13th game of season, assumedly, after having played in 36, recordedly, due to a tuckering out, assumedly, amid reported gobbledygook about shoulder maladjustment to a historical pick. Following Piston's game, he went home to Boston area to watch the Super Bowl, assumedly, and missed his team's morning practice today due to disinterest or inconvenience, assumedly. A microcosmic sample of today's NBA, regrettably.

Roll through Flatbush, attentively. But not before you clean your windshield, thoroughly.
And watch the Sixers, freshly. Disregard scroll on bottom of screen ("Abandon all hope ye who enters here"), fanatically.

"Just one more example of why Evan Turner's presence hurts this team, no matter what the goal is (tanking or competing)."

Kind of seems like a logical impossibility. Either a player makes you better or makes you worse. Worse, in Turner's case (see Sunnergren's post on hoop76 arguing that we would win more games if Hollis took Turner's minutes).

Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports Monday that the 76ers are eager to net a draft pick for Turner.Deveney writes that Oklahoma City and Phoenix are among the known teams to have shown interest in the former No. 2 overall pick, but nothing resulted from that, and perhaps that shouldn't be surprising when you consider Turner's contract situation.

This is actually a game we would have easily won had Turner merely played his average lousy game. Also, note that Anderson, who would play more and shoot more in Turner's absence, has been really good lately. So has Hollis (.626 TS% last month). Redirecting shots from perhaps the worst shooting guard in the league to those two seems like a very tank-friendly idea. Seriously, I'm pretty comfortable with just moving Hawes.

using your 4-pt advantage for home court, the Sixers are statistical favorites in 5 matchups. They're within 5 points against 12 opponents. Turner's variance (if you normalize his # of possessions) is +11 to -11.

And if you're talking about replacing him with someone currently on the roster, the rest of the team averages almost exactly the same number of points per play

PTS/(FG+(FT*.44)+TOV)

Turner's ratio is .872093, the rest of the team is .87241.

I have a chart and shit, don't have the time to go write it up right now.

I think you are both trying to mathematically solve an issue that can't be easily solved statistically. The reality is, the current publicly available statistics can't show what the value of shot creation is to a lineup. Scratching Turner from the team, might results in better performance because his replacements have better TS%, or it might result in much worse percentages for everyone on the team, because they would generate worse shots as a team.

Eh. The shots would be spread out across the team if Turner was removed, and they'd continue to score at the same rate give or take. Hollis Thompson isn't suddenly going to start taking 20 shots/game, and if he does, they're mostly going to be shitty shots.

The point here is that the opportunities for below average turner to drag the team down enough to turn a win into a loss are few and far between. There are far more opportunities for above average turner to turn a loss into a win, and he's done so on a number of occasions. Put him on a good team, the whole thing flips on its head.

"Snowflake" Carter-Williams surprised by drifting down from Boston and punching the clock, so to speak. Met every employer's minimum daily standard. Bravo.

What didn't surprise was his ragged play - - some good, some bad. 6-17 from field, 4 assists/6 turnovers... 92 O Rtg/110 D Rtg. With game still coming down, he threw a nice pass... to Shaun Livingston, obliging opponent, closing out storm #49 in our winter of discontent.

A commendation to old dog Paul Pierce for 14-14 free throw shooting. Clean as a whistle. Professionally diligent. Winning.

Don't invite Dr. James Naismith and Sam Hinkie to the same party. Aside from the fact that one has a plot and one is a pervasive plotter, I don't think they'd hit it off under the best of circumstances.

"There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth." - Leo Tolstoy

"Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things." - Isaac Newton

"Am I indecisive? Well, yes and no." - comic strip character

"Al Gorhythm, go on, put it in the peach basket. Then pop it out with the broomstick." - an 1891 utterance in Springfield, MA

He's had a lot of failed business ventures where investors and banks lost a lot of the money they put in. He's had a handful of cases like this but he still keeps getting banks and investors to put up their money. I don't really know much about his successful businesses but I just wouldn't trust that guy with my money.

He was one of the most disappointing players going back to summer league prior to this season. He should have dominated against such low level competition but instead he just loafed up and down the court and was basically invisible. He's really terrible.

For the past couple of weeks Moultrie has been practicing with the team after getting clearance from doctors. But when it comes to games, he's still sitting on the bench in street clothes. When asked Monday when he expected to be back and what was preventing him from suiting up, he surly responded: "It's not my ankle. It's not my conditioning. But at this point I really don't care. I'm just sick of all the excuses. If it ain't one thing, it's another thing." Then when asked what it could be, Moultrie said: "I'd rather not say."

I think Hawes has actually turned the corner over the past 2 years. I think he is a decent player with some value to most teams. If anything, I think he has been worth some extra wins that could bite them in the end if they drop in the lottery race.

I don't think Hawes is a great center by any stretch, but probably a nice value at his current contract, and I would consider resigning him at that number as long as they are viewing him as a rotational player.

If they get Ben Gordon and Portland's 1st rounder I'd consider that a big win. Doubt CHA is dumb enough to make the move, but it could be sold as saving them some money, and we use cap space to complete it.

I'd be a fan of a bigger trade where they send multiple players to the Bobcats for a 1st and some prospects (maybe Bismack or MKG depending on what players are involved.) I realize that Noel and Bismack don't fit, but maybe Bismack can round into a nice bench defensive big.

Well, I would also but who would be the other players given by the Sixers? The two rookies surely are off-limits. If the Sixers are going to include Turner and Hawes in a package, then I guess they could demand MKG and Biyombo along with Gordon and the lower first rounder. If they don't include Hawes (or Thad), who else would the Bobcats really want enough to trade anything for? I really think Turner could help them incrementally but by himself he's not going to be worth too much.

If they do trade Turner and Hawes for that package, the team does have a legitimate shot of overtaking Milwaukee by the end of the season. Don't know if I can bear to watch though.

I think if they wanted to get MKG and a 1st then Thad would have to be part of the deal. I don't see ET getting you much of anything, and Hawes is only a rental.

The problem is that ET has a huge cap hold, so although he is a RFA, having him on your roster this Spring hurts your ability to make other moves until he is signed. While Hawes is a UFA, so is simply a rental.

That said, the Bobcats and the Pistons are two teams that really need to make the playoffs this year and have tradeable assets. And ET and Hawes would help those teams by giving them at least more depth.

Somewhat related, I read a rumor that the Bobcats might try and trade for Monrow- who I am not sure is a good fit for them. I guess they want to try and build a good halfcourt team in the Memphis mold, but neither Al Jefferson or Monroe is a good defender.

They should trade for Morrow instead of Monroe since they don't shoot threes very well.

So far MKG hasn't been worth that much either and frankly he is less developed than Turner at this point, at least offensively. For a team that has a chance to move into a playoff position where they don't have to face Miami or Indiana on the first round, I think they get a higher probability of doing that with Turner and Hawes than MKG and Biyombo.

The Bobcats have never won a playoff series and they've only played in one. Winning one would be quite a milestone for that franchise and its fans.

MCW+MKG+Noel would give you the foundation of a great defense... but I'm not sure they would ever score. You would almost have to pair them with Dirk and Ray Allen in their prime in order to have an average offensive team. Add Bismack to that team and you would be even more challenged offensively.

Simplistic arguments like that make little impression on me. "He was out and they lost more often. Therefore, he is critical." I would want to know which teams they played and whether or not there had been any changes in the performances of other players.

As far as Turner's defense, he definitely appeared better at it during his first two years and has been better over the last couple of weeks than he had been in the last year and a half (when he had been mostly awful). I'm not sure he couldn't play better defense on another team 1) with more to gain from playing better team defense and 2) that didn't require him to exert as much energy on offense. He does seem to be exerting more energy on defense and less on offense very recently so maybe he knows something.

Blanket statements with no evidence to support them are not that impressive at all...I don't see what your point is - you made a statement about MKG that lacks, you know, any sort of support in evidence - why should any one present you any sort of supporting evidence.

It's not like 'they're better at defense' was pulled out of his ass - it's been reported in multiple places - whether or not you believe it or want to parse it based on numerous factors until you can find a way to make it 'irrelevant' to your unsupported hypothesis is a different story.

They're a better defensive team since his return...that's quantifiable - and has been quantified - if you don't believe it - do the research yourself to disprove it

Our MOV is only 4.78 points worse, but more to the point, Boston's 3-16 in their last 19 games... I struggle to see how the current beaten-down incarnation of the Celtics is substantially better than us. Crawford was probably their best player this season.

I'm saying their differential has dropped. You need a moving average to be really scientific about this. They're -7.8 in their last 23 games, which seems like a big enough sample to conclude that the team is really worse now, not just cold or something. They started 13-17 and went 3-16 since. Probably not statistical noise.

As Chad Ford pointed ut today - lots of prospects say the same darn thing in January/February - and every year there are a couple guys who are 'different' and might stay in school - but in the end - most come out.

Ford Also speculates that the 'euro prospects' might get more attention as GM's scouts start going over and scouring those players as they usually do this time of year.

I'm more concerned about Jabarai Parker doing a 2 year mission than Embiid not coming out

Is that a serious possibility? I'm starting to talk myself into Parker. Think he and Thad at the 3/4 with Noel in the middle might really work. Give Thad the tougher defensive assignment at either position.

No idea whatsoever - I just remember he missed a few years serving his country :)

I read earlier this season that Parkers 'make up' made many think he'd be more likely to take a mission than not - though do you really pass on him then - or do you just take an extra two years to collect high draft picks (the hype for 2015 has already started ;))

1) Really high on Exum
2) Really low on Parker's D
3) Have some questions on Parker's O against stronger defenders. Think he tends to settle for tougher jump shots when there's somebody who can match him athletically. Still think he'll score in the NBA, but in order to be a superstar with his D, it's going to need to be an efficient #1 option, which I question.

Turner showing his value on both ends. Gets his pocket picked by Avery Bradley in transition, completely loses his man on the defensive end, gets a wide-open layup on a simple cut to the hoop. Stellar stuff. Remember when he was playing way over his head and might have had some trade value?

I'm wondering if LaVine is all hype. Haven't payed any attention to him, but he's playing the majority of his minutes against backups in college right? That scares me. We can all see how that worked out with Waiters...

Definitely a 3 man race the top. I think they all come out and you have a small risk that someone takes Exum in the top 3. Then wildcard from there.

Next , I agree on Harris over Lavine right now. More complete, Lavine could be a complete flop I think. It's a shame because he plays in a n offense that is painful to watch and he disappears. Highest ceiling, lowest floor.

I think James Young will keep moving up the wing list. It's clear he has a stroke, looks like a normal young guy trying to find his flow in games but i really like what I see. Watch him.

I think Hood struggles at the next level, he was limited against Syracuse and only does one thing well to me (shoot) and I'm not sure his true range. I stay away from him.

Guy I am really starting to like in the mid first is Stauskus, Watch the recent draft express video on what he can do. A LOT of stuff you see in an nba offense. Combo him with mcW and he is easy to hide on d. Would be an elite shooter from the get go. At 6'6 he isn't undersized. Wouldn't it be nice to have an elite shooter with whichever guy we take early? I like him after the first 12 guys or so.

I'd hope a sophomore was more complete than a freshman. I'm taking the guy w/ the higher ceiling w/ that pick, especially when it's a guy who can really shoot. Think that's my #1 thing w/ that second pick, get a guy who can just shoot the lights out.

If you're looking for the most complete team coming out of this draft, in the short term, you want Parker w/ our pick and a guy like LaVine/Hood/Harris with the second.

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweeted that nothing has changed since the beginning of the season regarding the Timberwolves’ interest in 76ers guard Evan Turner. Although Minnesota covets Turner, President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders is still not willing to include a first rounder that Philadelphia would want in return.

I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about other teams. I thought the Sixers would be worse than this. Of course, I also would've adjusted my thinking when the Sixers started picking up too many wins early and I would've made adjustments.

No surprise there. I've always thought Minnesota will eventually be the landing spot for Turner. They loved him during the draft and tried to move up for him IIRC. And they've been rumored to be interested in him ever since.

I'm not really sure why being high on him going into the draft, under a different regime transfers to now - his NBA play has already indicated that he was 'over drafted' - you'd think they'd be smarter now

Well Hinkie himself hinted about keeping tabs on players they were interested during the draft. So i guess that actually exists. Also changing the GM doesn't always mean a complete regime change. Some of the people in the organization remain the same. And most importantly they have been rumored to be interested in him over the past few years frequently, so i am assuming there is some legitimate interest there. Now, what they'd give up for him is an entirely different question.

I believe it actually exists - but 4 years of NBA play has more impact than 'we liked him in the draft' I would think...I don't think an interest in Turner leading up to the draft would bear much relevance on how much they value him today - with multiple seasons of mediocre at best play played

But I assume after four years of being terrible, they stop keeping tabs on prospects they liked in the draft. Or at the very least, they substantially revise their expectations for those former prospects. Of course there are cases where a player's just misused for the first few years of his career, but I think we've put Turner in a variety of situations and he's failed in all of them.

I never said they are expecting the same results they thought he'd be capable of before the draft. But there is a legitimate chance they think he could be better than he is right now with a fresh opportunity considering they were high on him once, don't you think?

If you still hold out hope for catching the Bucks, they're up by a point at halftime at Denver. Although all that means is that they have about the same tiny chance of actually winning the game as they did when the game started.

Interestingly that's the second piece about Evan Turner on insider today...in another piece debunking 8 conventional wisdom ideas they talk about how Evan's improved 'counting stats' may make it look like he's figuring it out but he below average PER (mid 13's) would counter that and his increased numbers are a factor of the sixers pace

Didn't realize LMA's TS% was that low this year. Guess that's what happens when you make love to the long two every game. His OFR is still 110 because he never turns the ball over, which is again the result of settling for long twos all night long. Good for him. Cracks me up when people say he's an all star. Fucking scrub.

Yeah, well, I'm not sure Gilbert gets it. This whole Luol Deng thing might have been what got Grant fired, the trade shined a very public light on what a freaking mess that organization REALLY is...i mean how will they ever convince lebron to come back now?

Interesting read on the power of the new data SportVU for those interested, and probably useful for those who wish to mock new analytics for what ever insecurity they harbor that makes them afraid of evolution

Jared Zwerling @JaredZwerling
Source: Evan Turner will likely not get traded, but could change if Philly can get a 1st-pound pick. Turner will be a pricey attractive FA.

Nothing new here, other than the expectation that they won't trade him at all. That would be disappointing on several levels. But really, the only teams that would trade for him now are those who think he will help a playoff run (Bobcats?) Otherwise, an interested team would be better off waiting for this summer given they would not have to deal with his cap hold limiting their flexibility early on in FA.

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I think the Sixers are going to win this game against the Lakers. They can't lose them all. And it might be the last win before the allstar break as they finish it off on a 3 game west trip against fairly difficult opposition.

And 16 wins heading into the allstar break is a nice total. The Sixers appear to be well positioned going forward.

Unfortunately, Utah is 3-10 in back-to-backs, with a scoring margin of -9.8 (although with one day of rest, we're not much better - 8-20, -8.6.) On the other hand, 10-14 at home with a scoring margin of -3.4, compared to our 7-18 mark on the road with a scoring margin of -8.4. They're also 7-9 against Eastern teams. I think we'll lose.

Granted, i've seen very little of Grant but at the moment don't like him at all. He seems like one of those great athletes that stick on the fringes of the NBA for a while because of their athleticism, but simply doesn't have the game to be an impact player.

For example, is he better at all than say Rodney Williams, the guy who plays for the Sixers D-league team and was part of the Sixers summer league team? I'm not sure he is... I definitely wouldn't touch him in the lottery...

I can't speak too much about the Syracuse forward, but I am well versed in Rodney Williams having watched him for multiple years as Big Ten fan and resident of Minnesota. I would be surprised greatly if Grant was not significantly better than Rodney. Rodney is a player who came into college with big time hops (I guess he still has those), but had a lamentable lack of development as a player during his four years at Minnesota.

During his freshman and soph years he was listed as a first rounder in mock drafts. After his senior year, he wasn't drafted at all and he shouldn't have been. He definitely did better than I expected in summer league, but he still didn't show all that much.

I know there is talk that this draft isn't living up to its hype but I have to disagree. Perhaps it is due to me watching significantly more college hoops this year, but the level these guys play it is impressive. And the mistakes and flaws hey have as 18 year olds is completely understandable.

I know the draft falls off after the first few picks but I think their are potential all stars out to 14. Potential key word but it really does some deeper than usual as well.

It depends what kind of hype. It is unlikely that we will get one or more Lebron/Durant/MJ type of generational talents. But there should be several future All Stars and the depth of talent seems really promising. So maybe deeper than the Lebron/Wade/Melo draft but without with more Melo and less Lebron in terms of the level of the best players.

Hakeem doesn't quite make the cut?? I would probably add Dirk and Barkley. Anyway, what you're leaving out is that players who are even advertised as potential superstars only come along once every 7 or 8 years as well. Usually when a player's touted that highly, he turns out to be as great as people expect. It's not as if every year people say someone in the draft will be an all-time great, and once every seven years they're right.

Hakeem doesn't quite make the cut?? I would probably add Dirk and Barkley. Anyway, what you're leaving out is that players who are even advertised as potential superstars only come along once every 7 or 8 years as well. Usually when a player's touted that highly, he turns out to be as great as people expect. It's not as if every year people say someone in the draft will be an all-time great, and once every seven years they're right.

Hoping to land a top 10 all time guy is nice but it's not a strategy. It takes incredible amounts of luck to do it. The last potential top 10 all time player was drafted last year IMO - Davis. It's gonna be a while till we get the next.

The comments were onl about the relative strength of this year's draft. I ws saying it sounds like this year will be a great draft class, but probably won't have a generational star. Tray thinks it likely will. Either way, there is a good chance the Sixers get a star if things play out right.

Yes - I will gladly take a Wade/George/Melo type talent in the top 5. I could see Embid being generational as he could be the best two way big man for a long time and has shown glimpses of being really special. But I guess if you aren't considering Hakeem in the generational discussion then I would be really stretching.

I also think there could be all stars in the 5-15 range. And picking right there could be very rewarding.

I have been very encouraged by the progress I have seen in all of the big name freshmen. Even though more flaws are being exposed, I think everyone has shown why they got the hype they did.

I still subscribe to the notion that this is the right year to execute a tank.

As per generational players, it is all sort of arbitrary, and Tray's list is as valid as any. You cold probably consider adding guys like AI and KG to that list, depending on where yo want to set the bar. If the Sixers were to have a player as good as Hakeem then I would be ecstatic.